Happy Birthday to Who? – 28th October: Matt Smith

Doctor’s orders for today: Grab yourself some fish fingers and custard. Get all dressed up in your coolest bow tie and tweed. Dance around doing “the drunk giraffe” like a madman in a box. It can only be Matt Smith’s birthday!

Today we wish many happy returns to The Eleventh Doctor himself. Despite being a relative unknown at first, Matt soon became a household name. There was a lot of doubt that he could fill the shoes left by David Tennant – but he managed it!

Smith made his Doctor Who debut on New Year’s Day 2010, regenerating from The Tenth Doctor in The End of Time, Part Two. He returned properly later in the year for Series 5, kicking off with the critically acclaimed The Eleventh Hour.

Matt’s portrayal of the runaway rebel from Gallifrey catapulted him to stardom. Thanks to his performances and his chemistry with companion Karen Gillan, Doctor Who went from strength to strength in this new era. Matt also has the honour of being the youngest actor to ever land the role. He was also the first Doctor be nominated for a BAFTA.

Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor – Doctor Who – The Time of the Doctor (c) BBC

Smith previously said he was “incredibly proud” and that he had “the most brilliant experience” on the show. He stayed for three full series between 2010 and 2013 before bowing out in an emotional Christmas Day special. There was great sadness when he announced his departure in June 2013, with fellow cast and crew wishing him the best for the future.

“I will always remember when The Doctor was me…”

During his tenure, Matt faced off against Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, and the Silence. Notably, Smith was the incumbent Doctor for the show’s landmark 50th anniversary special The Day of The Doctor. Silence finally fell when he regenerated into Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor at the end of The Time of The Doctor. However, that wasn’t to be his final appearance – he made a surprise cameo in Deep Breath just a few months later.

Since leaving Doctor Who, Smith has starred in a number of films including Lost River, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, and Terminator Genisys. He also appeared on stage in American Psycho and Unreachable. He can also be seen playing Prince Philip in the upcoming Netflix series The Crown.

Join us in wishing a very happy birthday to Matt Smith. Just remember to ask the oldest question in the universe, hidden in plain sight… “Do you want another slice of birthday cake?”

Watch the excellent and now very famous ‘Fish Finger and Custard’ scene from ‘The Eleventh Hour’ below.

Related

Richard Swain is a writer and English Language enthusiast. He has been an avid Doctor Who fan since 2005 and his favourite episode is Heaven Sent. In his spare time, Richard also enjoys gaming and playing the guitar.